2. IMPROVING LOCAL SKILLS TRAINING FOR INDIGENOUS PEOPLE IN CANADA 47 │ Chapter 2. Improving local skills training for Indigenous People in Canada In Canada, the overall educational attainment of Indigenous People falls behind the non- Indigenous population. Skills are a key route out of poverty and provide a solid foundation for Indigenous People to participate in the labour market. This chapter looks at key barriers to educational attainment of Indigenous Canadians as well as recent skills programmes that have been implemented at the federal and local level. INDIGENOUS EMPLOYMENT AND SKILLS STRATEGIES IN CANADA © OECD 2018 48 2. IMPROVING LOCAL SKILLS TRAINING FOR INDIGENOUS PEOPLE IN CANADA │ Understanding the skills outcomes of Indigenous People In the TRC’s Calls to Action, education was identified as a key issue and significant barrier to the labour market success of Indigenous People. The TRC pointed out the need to provide equal education funding for Indigenous children; protect Indigenous languages, culture and history by integrating these important topics in curriculum; including Indigenous parents and community in decisions regarding their children’s education, honouring Treaty relationships and developing more Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) programmes for Indigenous children (Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, 2015). Blair Stonechild (2006), a professor and Cree-Saulteaux member of the Muscowpetung First Nation, explains that elders referred to education as ‘new buffalo. In an interview with the University of Regina (June, 2010), he elaborates: “When you look at traditional culture, the buffalo probably provided 95% of all the things that they needed. With the buffalo gone, the question became what replaces it? When you take a look at the struggle in the treaties, the way they were negotiated and the foresight of the negotiators, education was the thing that would guarantee the ability of First Nations people to survive in this new world. So that is basically the concept, that the new buffalo is access to education – not just elementary and secondary, but post- secondary as well” (Stonechild, 2016). Building the educational and skills levels of the Indigenous population will require concerted efforts to mentor Indigenous youth about the value of participating in the education system and to support educational institutes in providing and maintaining quality and culturally sensitive education to Indigenous students, from primary to post- secondary levels. Such supports should focus on ensuring student retention and nurturing Indigenous student in their development in socially and psychologically safe settings. Education and skills outcomes The OECD report, Promising Practices in Supporting Success for Indigenous Students documents differences in participation rates, attendance rates, expulsion rates and graduation rates between Indigenous and non-Indigenous students in Canada; Queensland, Australia; and New Zealand. The report found that enrolment rates for four year-olds Indigenous students were less than 20% in Alberta, Manitoba, Nova Scotia and the Yukon in 2015. In the same year, the largest gaps between Indigenous and non- Indigenous enrolment in Canada were at the ages five and six year-olds, with still less than 80% of Indigenous children enrolled in school. Otherwise, comparing Indigenous enrolment in Alberta, Manitoba, Nova Scotia and Yukon between 2010 and 2015, the enrolment rates were consistent around 80% with marginal improvements for five, six and seven year-olds (OECD, 2017a). In regards to differences in the number of days absent per year in 2015, a consistent gap of at least ten days was reported between Indigenous and non-Indigenous students from the ages 13-18 within Nova Scotia and Yukon. However, in regards the number of days absent for male and female Indigenous students, there appeared to be very little difference in their outcomes in the year 2015. In 2015, the number of days Indigenous students are absent in Queensland and New Zealand is about ten days or less at each age (from age eight) compared to Indigenous students in Nova Scotia and Yukon (OECD, 2017a). INDIGENOUS EMPLOYMENT AND SKILLS STRATEGIES IN CANADA © OECD 2018 2. IMPROVING LOCAL SKILLS TRAINING FOR INDIGENOUS PEOPLE IN CANADA 49 │ Promising Practices in Supporting Success for Indigenous Students did report an improvement in Indigenous graduation rates for the Canadian provinces of Alberta and Manitoba between 2010 (about 40%) and 2015 (about 53%) of more than 10%. However, Alberta and Manitoba’s performances still were about 15% less than the graduation rates of Indigenous students in Queensland and New Zealand. Differences in graduation rates were most striking between Indigenous and non-Indigenous groups which graduated Indigenous males (52%) and females (54%) at least 30% less than non-Indigenous males (82%) and females (87%) (OECD, 2017a). While 60% of Indigenous People did not have a post-secondary certificate according to the 2016 Census, the Indigenous post-secondary certificate holders primarily studied trades, services, natural resources and conservation (14.4%); business and administration (6.5%) and health care (5.8%)(Statistics Canada, 2016a). In comparison, about 44% of non-Indigenous People did not obtain post-secondary certificates. Of the ones who did acquire the certification, the non-Indigenous students were represented more than twice Indigenous students within arts and humanities (5.1%); engineering and engineering technology (4.9%); science and science technology (3%); and mathematics, computer and information science (2.3%) (Statistics Canada, 2016a). Furthermore, Figure 5.2 contrasts employment rates of Indigenous People with those of non-Indigenous People by major field of study. This figure demonstrates that in addition to an underrepresentation in major fields of study that lead to work in knowledge sectors, Indigenous People more often than not have lower employment rates in these majors. Differences in employment rates between Indigenous and Non-Indigenous graduates can be seen in majors such as agriculture, natural resources and conservation (8% gap); mathematics, computer and information sciences (6.1% gap); and architecture, engineering, and related technologies (4.8% gap). Only within the major of education are the employment rate outcomes most strikingly inversed with Indigenous People having an 11% higher employment rate than non-Indigenous People (Statistics Canada, 2016b). Figure 2.1. Highest level of education attained, Indigenous status, %, 2016 Indigenous Non-Indigenous Percent 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% No certificate, diploma or Secondary school diploma or Postsecondary degree or VET Tertiary- Bachelor's and higher degree equivalent equivalent Source: Statistics Canada (2016), 2016 Census, Statistics Canada, Catalogue no. 98-400-X2016262. StatLink 2 http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/888933724024 INDIGENOUS EMPLOYMENT AND SKILLS STRATEGIES IN CANADA © OECD 2018 50 2. IMPROVING LOCAL SKILLS TRAINING FOR INDIGENOUS PEOPLE IN CANADA │ Figure 2.2. Employment rate by major field of study, Indigenous status, %, ages 15 years or older, 2016 Indigenous employment rate Non-Indigenous employment rate 80 75 70 65 60 55 50 45 40 35 30 Note: Excludes census data for one or more incompletely enumerated Indian reserves or Indian settlements. Source : Statistics Canada (2016), 2016 Census, Catalogue no. 98-400-X2016267. StatLink 2 http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/888933724043 At the level of cities, differences in tertiary educational attainment are quite visible as well. Percentage gaps between Indigenous and non-Indigenous groups are the largest in Vancouver (18.9%) and Calgary (18.4%). However, Québec City has the lowest gap in outcomes with a difference of 7.7% (Statistics Canada, 2016c). Comparing Vocational Education and Training (VET), the outcome gaps between Indigenous and non- Indigenous groups are far lower. In Thunder Bay, outcomes between the two groups are inversed. However, this might be explained due to industries in the region relying more on skills acquired through VET programmes (Statistics Canada, 2016c). INDIGENOUS EMPLOYMENT AND SKILLS STRATEGIES IN CANADA © OECD 2018 2. IMPROVING LOCAL SKILLS TRAINING FOR INDIGENOUS PEOPLE IN CANADA 51 │ Figure 2.3. Percentage of Indigenous and non-Indigenous adults (15 years and older) having completed tertiary education (Bachelor's and above), most-populated Canadian metropolitan areas, 2016 Indigenous Non-Indigenous 40% 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% Edmonton Canada Hamilton Winnipeg Tri-Cities Thunder Bay Vancouver Calgary Montréal Québec City Toronto Ottawa - Gatineau Note: Thunder Bay refers to the Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) of Greater Sudbury – Thunder Bay. Tri- Cities stands for Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo CMA. Source: Statistics Canada (2016), 2016 Census of Population. Canada and census metropolitan areas and census agglomerations, 2016 Census – 25% Sample data, data extracted by Employment and Skills Development Canada, received 11 April 2018. StatLink 2 http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/888933724062 Figure 2.4. Percentage of Indigenous and non-Indigenous adults (15 years and older) who participated in VET, most-populated Canadian metropolitan areas, 2016 Indigenous Non-Indigenous 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% Thunder Toronto Hamilton Winnipeg Tri-Cities Calgary Edmonton Vancouver Ottawa - Canada Montréal Québec City Bay Gatineau Note: Thunder Bay refers to the Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) of Greater Sudbury – Thunder Bay. Tri- Cities